Earlier this year troubling news emerged about a mounting threat to global malaria control and eradication efforts: resistance to front-line malaria drugs threatens to cross the mountainous border between Myanmar and India. If that happens, some speculate drug-resistant malaria could infiltrate the African continent and put millions of lives in jeopardy.
There is a more hopeful side to this story.
In Myanmar, a country rife with political conflict, torn by ethnic division and long-isolated from international cooperation, some hope controlling resistance and ultimately eradicating malaria could be the cause that catalyzes a new spirit of cooperation between the government and marginalized ethnic groups, between the military and civil society, and across political divides.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
